Popular Galveston Island sandcastle competition slated for Aug. 24, free to public

The 33rd Annual AIA Sandcastle Competition comes back to East Beach this year on Saturday, Aug. 24.

The 33rd Annual AIA Sandcastle Competition comes back to East Beach this year on Saturday, Aug. 24.

Photo: Courtesy Of Rhonda Lowe

Photo: Courtesy Of Rhonda Lowe

Image
1of/54

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 54

The 33rd Annual AIA Sandcastle Competition comes back to East Beach this year on Saturday, Aug. 24.

The 33rd Annual AIA Sandcastle Competition comes back to East Beach this year on Saturday, Aug. 24.

Photo: Courtesy Of Rhonda Lowe

Popular Galveston Island sandcastle competition slated for Aug. 24, free to public

1 / 54

Back to Gallery

Thousands of people will descend on Galveston Island this month to witness nearly 50 architecture, design, and engineering firm teams construct works of art from purely sand and water.

The 33rd Annual American Institute of Architects (AIA) Houston Sandcastle Competition will take place Aug. 24 at Galveston's East Beach. The annual event raises funds for the American Institute of Architects Houston and the Architecture Center Houston Foundation and is one of the top five revenue-generating events for the City of Galveston, according to the event website.

Teams work nonstop for five hours on their sandcastles, which often take months of preparation. Sculptures are judged on originality of concept, artistic execution, technical difficulty, carving technique, and utilization of the site, according to the website.

Participants compete to win awards in various categories such as Traditional Castle, Architectural Icon, Kidtastic: Fables & Folklore, Houston-centric, Marine Life, Pop Culture: Decades, and Geometric as well as Public Favorite, Tallest Standing Structure and Greatest Feat of Structural Ingenuity.

Teams compete from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and attendees have the chance to cast a vote for their favorite sculpture from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Official judging is slated for 3 to 4:30 p.m., according to the website.

The event is free and open to the public and parking is available for $15. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own picnic foods.

Click through the photos above for scenes from the annual competition from year's past...